Today’s video talks about the three elements of getting the perfect amount of light so you can create a technically perfect photo. I am still getting used to these so apologies if I mumble a lot, also there’s a bit of shake since the laptop was on my lap. I will iron out these details and I will also start writing these up for those of you who cannot watch movies.
All of these and more will eventually be a class I am preparing for Big Picture Scrapbooking. This part of the class will be free to everyone so I will make sure there are full written versions, not to worry.
Ok, I thought we should start with the very basics. It’s important to know how to hold your camera so you can decrease potential camera-shake and get clearer photos.
I know I need a lot more practice doing these recordings and remember that English is not my first language so if I sound funny or say funny things that’s why. Feel free to leave honest feedback.
Officially on my last week of pregnancy now. Quite amazing. Here’s me with swollen lips, stained face and neck, and a huge belly. What do you think? Boy or girl?
I downloaded Ali’s digital elements for the first time. I love these frames. Aren’t they pretty?
I promised too many people that I’d take some pregnancy shots. I hate
them but here it is just cause I promised. And here are some with the
little boy.
I will need to reread them again of course, but it was some good reading
for now. Here are a few lessons I learned in general (they’re all over
the place, mostly for me to remember):
Always shoot RAW if you can. This gives you a lot more flexibility
in post-processing. This is something I knew but didn’t do often enough,
I’ll be playing with RAW this month, all month.
Don’t overexpose, you can’t get that information back. Don’t create
a right gap, you can’t get that detail back either.
When processing a RAW image, process conservatively so it gives you
the most flexibility when adjusting in Photoshop.
If you process RAW and then open as smart-object (shift-click the
Open Image button), you can go back and redo RAW processing if need.
(like to reduce noise)
Remember that the edges of an image can be a distraction. This of
where you’d like the viewers eye to focus and how you’d like it to
travel (this applies to layouts too.)
If you want to combine layers, selecting the entire image (Select ->
All), using the Copy Merged command (Edit -> Copy Merged), then the
Paste command. This is functionally equivalent to flattening the image.
If you want change the highlights but not saturation – try changing
the layer to “luminosity” for the curve adjustment.
So I wanted to put a little example of what magic masks can be. Be
forewarned that this is a quickie so it’s far far from ideal and the
original wasn’t RAW so that hurts the process, too. Not to mention I
over-saturated for effect. So with all that….
Here’s a photo I took last year in Pismo Beach:
As you can see it’s really flat so if I were to do some basic curves to
try to mess with the white point and some highlights and lowlights,
here’s what I get:
It makes the image a bit more full of contrast but now my sky is
completely blown out and you can see no detail at all. If I were to use
masks and do my saturation/curves using masks, here’s what I can accomplish:
Yes, it’s over-saturated, but look at the detail in the sky and the
detail in the sea. You can have your cake and eat it, too. More on masks
next week.
Ok. Here’s my final planned project for 2009. As you will notice the
numbers go down: 365 photos, 52 tags, 52 catalysts, and now 12 areas of
focus. I want to make sure these projects are realistic and no more than
I can handle in one year, especially on a year when I’m expecting a baby.
As I mentioned a few days ago, I’d like to learn to use Photoshop
better. I’ve been using Photoshop since 1992 and while I’ve learned a
lot over the last sixteen years, I really haven’t learned as much as I
could have and I’ve never spent focused effort to improve my knowledge.
Obviously, the main area of focus on Photoshop for me is the digital
photography since that’s my business. But I’m also interested being able
to make brushes and overlays, and basic things to help me do more hybrid
scrapbooking. This list might change over the year and I learn and
explore more but here’s main areas of focus I’ve chosen so far:
layer masks
image modes: lab color
channel mixer
hue/saturation
curves
layers: fill or adjustment layers and layer styles
channels
textures: grunge, vintage etc.
paths
creating brushes
clipping masks
lighting effects
This project will include finding and doing workshops related to each
area. Ideally, at least one a week. As I do them, I will post links to
workshops and any examples I produce.
And, this will also mean that I will finally work my way through David’s amazing tutorials
especially since I’m already a member and receive them all. Just because
I need to be ultra-organized for things to actually happen, here’s the
order in which I plan to do his tutorials: (this may also change if my
focuses change)
As you’ll notice, these end in April because that’s when the little one
comes. I figure after that things might get blurry for a while and by
the time I have my sanity back, David will have put up a whole bunch
more so I can add them to my list then.
Well there you go. If you know Photoshop very well and have some advice
on how to revise the list above, what to add or remove, all advice is
welcome. I plan to start this weekend so let’s see how much progress I
make.
Today’s my mom and dad’s 40th wedding anniversary. 40 years…wow! My
sister came up with this amazing idea of getting them 40 roses, each
with a message of why we’re so thankful to them. Some are more generic
like we’re thankful that you taught us right from wrong and some are
specific like thank you for a fantastic trip to Disneyland, etc. So I
asked my sister to snap a photo for me so that I could keep the memory.
Here’s the photo. And here are all the translated reasons (the originals
are in Turkish).
For being our mom and dad
Daddy, for always being a kid with us
Mommy, for never putting up with our acting spoiled
For accepting your son-in-laws as if they were your own kids
For always giving love without expecting it in return
Daddy, for being the most fun grandfather
Mommy, for always showing us the cup’s half full side
For putting us first in your life
For raising us with the right values
Daddy, for putting on unforgettable parties for us
Mommy, for teaching us to be thankful every day
For always managing to stay young at heart
Daddy, for explaining us the values of our roots
Mommy, for always putting up with us
Mommy, for teaching us not to worry about penny-accounting
Daddy, for teaching us to never hurt anyone
Daddy, for staying with us with love each time we got sick
For being the best grandmother
Mommy, for teaching us to save money
Daddy, for quitting smoking even though it was incredibly difficult for
you
Daddy, for never hurting our feelings
Mommy, for your creativity and always being an example to us
Mommy, for being near us under every condition as we became mothers
Daddy, for watching movies with us for hours when we were little and
translating every word
Daddy, for teaching us math with games
For always urging us to do anything we wanted in life
For always sharing every topic we were interested in
Mommy, for warning us that true friendship is rare and hard to find
Daddy, for taking the time to save our memories
For an unbelieavable and unforgettable Disney World trip
For teaching us honesty and integrity
Mommy, for teaching us the importance of standing on our own two feet
For getting remarried (to each other)
For encouraging us to learn foreign languages from a young age
For emphasizing the importance of sisterhood
For telling us family is more important than anything else
For giving us the opportunity to see different countries and meet
different cultures
For your unlimited patience and understanding
For accepting both your daughters as who they each are
For reminding us the importance of love every minute of every day
We love you because for 40 years for each other, for 38 years for yona,
35 years for Karen, 15 years for Jake and Isaac, 10 years for Axel and
Jeff, and 4 years for David, you were by our side for each joy and
sorrow and we cannot imagine a life without you.
